Polk Threlkeld

Polk Threlkeld was born Polk Laffoon Threlkeld on August 18, 1886, in Union County, Kentucky, the son of Uriel Hansford Threlkeld and Mary Catherine Taylor. Contemporary university records place him in civil engineering and associate him with both Morganfield and Waverly. He was also active in campus life as a member of Phi Delta Theta and was inducted into the Mystic Thirteen in 1910.

At Kentucky, Threlkeld was a versatile and highly regarded athlete in basketball, football, and track. In basketball he was used at guard and other positions, becoming known especially for his defense and composure. Contemporary accounts singled him out in several games, including a 41-25 win over the Frankfort YMCA in which he was named among Kentucky’s standouts, and the 1910 championship game against Central University, when he was praised for his guarding and poise despite the loss. He was also one of the players chosen for Kentucky’s Northern trip and was regarded as one of the veteran building blocks of the team.

Threlkeld was even more prominent in football and track. He was Kentucky’s starting fullback on the 1910 team that finished 7-2, and contemporary accounts praised him as one of the program’s best blockers and interference men. He scored touchdowns against Tennessee and Rose Polytechnic and had a three-touchdown game in a 37-0 victory over Georgetown. He was later selected to a 1910 All-Kentucky team compiled from newspaper and coaching picks. In track, Threlkeld served as captain, competed in events ranging from the 100-yard dash to the half mile and relay, and was remembered as a dependable point winner.

Threlkeld later completed his studies at Kentucky and graduated in 1912 before building a career as a civil engineer. He eventually headed the Right-of-Way Department for Zone B of the Kentucky Department of Highways and in 1934 was appointed a North Carolina delegate to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Commission. He died in Lexington on December 15, 1958, and was buried in Lexington Cemetery.